


Partners or Rivals? ... Frenemies?

by NimbusWindstrider



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Childhood Friends, Rivals, Unova, What else do I even put here?, partners
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 08:55:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20387062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NimbusWindstrider/pseuds/NimbusWindstrider
Summary: Two young neighbors go off on an adventure around Unova as Pokemon trainers, only to run into Team Plasma's antics.This is basically something I wrote loosely based on me and my boyfriend's playthrough of PokeMMO in Unova. With... a lot of leniency on Team Plasma so they're actually threatening. And pokemon battles leaning more towards the style of the anime than the videogame.Never thought I'd put this up here but hey, peer pressure's a bitch.





	1. Friends and Partners

The rays of the early morning sun lit the lab in a warm, golden glow as a yawn was heard from Nuvema town’s resident professor - looking less like a professor without her white lab coat as she’d been dragged out of bed. 

“Really, Ari, this couldn’t wait until lunch?” She mumbled out, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she futilely fumbled bare-handed with her bed hair.  _ ‘I swear this boy is too much, sometimes...’  _ she thought to herself with a quiet sigh.

“Sorry, prof, I’m just really excited to finally get to explore the region!” The 16-year old beamed. 

_ ‘... but he certainly means well,’ _ she let a smile break through her sleepy face as she nodded at the teen. “Well then, I’ll let you get ready - choose a partner out from the pokemon we have in the backyard. I’ll take a quick shower and then give you everything you’ll need.” She got up as she gestured to the door to the backyard, before she disappeared upstairs to properly freshen up - and wake up. 

“Oh don’t worry, I already know who I’m choosing~” Ari smiled to himself, walking out to the backyard. 

There was plenty of space behind the lab, with several of the local pokemon sleeping or frolicking about. There was a lean-to along the lab’s wall as well as a tree in the corner of the yard to provide shade and shelter from rain. Not only that, but an artificial pond on the other opposite corner provided a way for the pokemon to cool down on hot days. 

At the sound of the door opening, accompanied by the ring of a bell hung over the doorway, some of the pokemon lifted their heads to see who it was. At the sight of the familiar lab assistant, most of the raised heads dropped back to their sleep while others began to approach. Especially notable was an eager snivy who ran up to the waiting, crouched teen.

“Hey there, Crowley, ready to go?” Ari greeted the familiar little serpent with a warm smile, barely containing his own excitement.

“Sni!~” the little grass snake chimed up at his soon-to-be-trainer. 

“Great! C'mere~” he reached an arm low, as Crowley crawled up and got himself comfortable on Ari’s shoulders. 

The two went about practicing some moves, waiting for the professor to finish her shower. 

“Crowley, show me leer!” Ari exclaimed excitedly as the grass-type starter glared at him - only for the teen to break into laughter. “I-I’m sorry but you look so cute when you’re trying to look pissed!” He chuckled before the snivy tackled the laughing boy. 

“O-ow! I didn’t say tackle!” The boy groaned through a chuckle as Crowley crossed his little arms, looking away as if insulted at his human partner. 

Professor Juniper opened the door, another ring of the bell sounding as she spoke, “I see you two are getting along.” She chuckled, having looked through the glass of the door just in time to see the tackle. She was wearing her lab coat over her clothes now as well as a towel wrapped around her still-wet hair. 

“Come here, I’ve got to give you some stuff.” 

“Yeah, about that... remember Monty?” 

“How can’t I? You two have been friends for years.”

“Yeaaah... about that, we agreed to start our adventure at the same time.” 

“Not surprised. Should I pack supplies for two?”

“I think an extra pokedex should be fine.”

Later that morning, with the sun higher in the sky as the time approached noon, the two stood at the door of their neighbor’s house. It was a two-story building, with a living room and kitchen on the first floor as well as two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. Ari and professor Juniper had been standing around for a few minutes, knocking on the door as the doorbell had been broken for some time now. 

“Couldn’t you throw a pebble at Monty’s window, or something?” The professor sighed, setting a case down by the front steps as Ari moved to the street. 

Professor Juniper turned towards her assistant at the sound of an excited Crowley, only for her eyes to narrow at the sight of the stone the new trainer intended to lob at their neighbor’s house. “Ari… remember our talk about damaging other people’s property?” she said with a warning tone in her voice.   


“Think this is too big?”

“I don’t need to be a professor to know it is.”

“Wait! I just remembered something.” Ari said, dropping the stone back onto the grass as he walked up to the door. He picked out one of the potted plants decorating the porch and proceeded to drop it from waist height with a loud crash. 

“Ari! What are you doing?!” The professor demanded, her eyes wide in shock and bewilderment. The pot had left a mess where it landed, dirt and shards of clay was littered the floor as her lab assistant fished around through the debris to produce a key to the door.

“Oh, yeah, Monty told me where he kept the emergency key.” Ari shrugged with nonchalance. “Oh. And he told me I was free to break that pot if I needed the key.” He added as he unlocked the door, opening it with the spare key before the two entered - with the professor maneuvering around the shards of shattered pottery.

The shoes still present on their racks by the door meant Monty was indeed home, so the question was “Think he’s still asleep after you broke the pot on the front porch?” The professor asked, still somewhat annoyed at the young trainer’s behavior. 

“Relaaax. Wait here, I’ll wake him up.” he said, disappearing quickly upstairs to evade another lecture on others’ properties. He made his way to the occupied bedroom before opening the door.

“Of course you’re still asleep, probably was up all night again… wonder what you were playing this time…” Ari mumbled to himself as the grass snake on his shoulder shook his head in disappointment at his trainer’s friend, scooping the Untendo 3Dx from where its owner had left it - beside him on the bed. “... Pokemon Mystery Dungeon… huh, good taste.”

“Crowley, use tackle.”  
“Sni… -vy!”

“OW WHAT THE FUCK!”  
“... Osha-?”

Downstairs, the professor could easily hear the shouting from the bedroom as she sighed, “... those boys better not regret going together…”


	2. Friends and Partners 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Professor Juniper feels like she doesn't get paid enough.

After the rough wake-up call, Ari and Professor Juniper were now seated in Monty’s living room - Ari looking quite proud of himself while the professor looked clearly annoyed at the borderline-assault. 

“Did you really have to wake Monty up like that?” Professor Juniper asked, the bridge of her nose pinched between her thumb and index finger. 

“Well he didn’t wake up from crashing a pot, so I thought I might as well be thorough.” Ari replied, as Crowley nodded from atop his spot on the trainer’s shoulder. 

“It’s alright, Professor Juniper, we’ve woken each other up in worse ways, and I’ll have plenty of chances to get back at him.” Monty chimed in, carrying a tray with glasses. He poured the two guests a glass of iced tea each before taking a seat on the couch next to Ari with his Oshawott sat on his head. 

The professor took a sip of the cold drink before setting the glass aside. She placed the case she had brought onto the table, opening it to pull out two black and red devices. “Now, these will be your pokedexes. I need you two to scan pokemon you meet and document important details about them. Technically Ari’s the only one obliged to do this research, but he tells me you’d be completely fine with it. Is Ari right?” 

Monty gave Ari a withering look, “I may be fine with it, but I was not informed."

“Well then, consider yourself informed.” Ari shot an innocent look back at Monty, who shook his head. 

“So… you want us to do field work for you around Unova?” Monty asked, turning his attention back to the professor. 

“If you aren’t against it, yes.” 

“Alright then, guess I can do it while going through the gyms. Though next time something like this comes up, I would like to be informed beforehand… Ari.” Monty shot the other trainer a glare, who grinned and shrugged in response.

“Well then, I’m going to guess you have your own travel supplies if you two planned to leave at the same time?” She asked. 

The trainer pull up a packed duffle bag, “yes, ma’am.” 

“Well, I guess that answers that - I’m guessing I don’t have to teach you how to catch pokemon, right?” She asked, looking at the two. Ari had been working for her for a few years now and Monty was the son of a gym leader, she expected they’d already know.    


The two looked at each other before looking at the professor, “No need.” Monty replied. He had already packed a few pokeballs in his bag for catching more pokemon. 

“Then I’ll be on my way, I have to teach a few kids how to be pokemon trainers later and get them started on their journeys too.” The professor said as she downed the last of her iced tea, placing the glass down on its coaster before standing up. 

“Feels like a new trainer is born every day, huh?” Monty asked, finishing his iced tea as well. 

“That means I need to breed new starters everyday, unless they come in with their grandma’s purrloin.” Professor Juniper sighed on her way to the door, closing it on her way out.

Once the professor was out, Ari gulped down the rest of his iced tea as Monty poured himself some more. “Monty” he sighed once his mouth was empty, “Let’s battle.” 

“Sni!” The green snake confidently raising his chin from atop his shoulder. The new trainer, meanwhile, shot Monty an eager grin. They were both excited to see how they measured - and excited to begin a proper rivalry. 

Monty, sitting cross-legged as he held his glass of iced tea, wordlessly sipped down the cold beverage. He took his time, as if to taunt his childhood friend so eager to spice up their relationship. 

The whole time, his oshawott sat atop his head, nonchalantly playing with his trainer’s hair “Osha~!” 

“It’s on.” Monty grinned back once he set his glass down, catching a beam of sunlight on its reflective surface that seemed to mimic the glow that suddenly burned from Monty and his oshawott - who finally turned his attention to the Crowley to grin at the grass-type.

“Then let’s take this outside?” Ari suggested.

Monty broke composure as he replied, “Yeah, I’ll meet you behind my house…” he then paused, as if remembering something as a chuckle bubbled up from his lips, “... let me just clean up the pot before we both forget.”

“What pot?” 

“Exactly what I mean.”


End file.
